New Year, New Chapter, New Beginnings
by Querida Goddess
Summary: The Boy Who Lives To Make My Life Hell... DracoHermione...


**Author's Note:**

**This is the redo to my first fic, but I'm not doing over the entire thing. Just the beginning, which rather lacks substance and is excessively long. Hmmmm...That isn't breaking a rule, is it? If so, tell me...That way I can't find a loophole(evil grin).**

**Question: Why don't I just replace the chapters? Because I'm doing the chaps one by one and also merging them together so if anyone were to read the fic, it wouldn't make sense. In this line of thought, if you like this chapter, I would advise that you wait until the next update to this fic. **

**Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own it.**

"A bet?"

"Weren't you listening to me?" I asked. How could their fickle boy minds go from one topic to another so rapidly? One moment they're ready to finally check Dumbledore into St. Mungo's, Merlin _knows_ this is the last straw, and suddenly, out of this focal topic, they jump to silly bets!

"Back to the topic at hand please!" I begged. But Ron wasn't having it.

"What sort of bet? Let's hear it then."

"Bet? _What_ bet? This is serious!"

"See what I mean, mate?" Ron turned to Harry. "Herm's way too serious to ever get involved with things like bets."

This peeved me. Just because I actually studied and was serious about my work, it didn't mean that I didn't have a sense of humor. I mentioned this to them. They looked at me disbelievingly, which angered me even more.

"I _do_ have a sense of humor!"

"Uh, Hermione, you couldn't take a joke if someone shoved it down your throat." Ron pointed this out flatly.

I scowled. Then I had an idea. I made the transition from scowling to smirking. "Perhaps we _should_ have a wager."

"Go on…"

Poor boy, perhaps he hadn't yet realized that I was truly the brightest which of my age. Not to brag of course.

But apparently, Harry did, because he narrowed his eyes at me and said, "Mate, trust me, you're going to regret this."

I replied mischievously, "Oh, just a friendly parlay between friends. Nothing to be worried about."

"We're not worried," Ron said hastily.

The words came out of Ron's mouth but Harry's countenance betrayed otherwise, because of the look on my face. I guess I don't happen to smirk much, because Harry looked extremely perturbed. Not, of course, that I could blame. He was clearly the more sensible one of the two.

I let an ominous glimmer creep into my eyes. "Pranks, lots of them. As much as we want, wherever we want, whenever we want, involving anything we want." I made up as I went along. "But no other people! It has to be entirely our plan, no outside ideas. And the prize…is the end of the wager, when the others beg for mercy." I spewed my plan to them.

Ron agreed without a rational thought and Harry… well, Harry was battling between fear and honor, ending with honor.

"Question, though: is it every man for himself, or both of you against me?" The question emitted by me.

"Er, we'll give that further thought!" Harry ejected (wisely, I might add), before Ron could get in a word.

"Yeah, well, I'd better get back to Malfoy since I finished patrolling…" I left wistfully. As I closed the carriage door, I could see Harry giving Ron a look such as a person walking to their obvious doom would give the person responsible.

Back to Malfoy, and I realized that we'd totally lost the topic that we had been discussing. Malfoy and I both being Heads...

Flashback«§§§§§»Flashback

"Professor, _surely_ you can't be serious!"

"Are you _crazy_"

"Mister Malfoy, watch your mouth before I am forced to ban you from Quidditch for the rest of your year!" Professor McGonagall looked appalled. "And no, I am not crazy. Is there a problem with this arrangement?"

She stared at us, as if only daring us to say yes. I turned to glare at Malfoy, but then she took one look at me and I was reduced to staring meekly at my shoes.

"Well then, if that's a no, you will accompany me to the Heads' Carriage." She looked at us expectantly, and turned around, as we followed.

My mind was numb. I couldn't even think at that moment. We arrived at a carriage and took seats opposite to each other.

"Now, let me inform you of your Head Duties. You will patrol corridors from 12 o' clock to 4 o' clock. You will arrange whether there will be shifts or you do it together.

You are also expected to plan Quidditch game schedules, dances and other upcoming activities. Ah, yes you will also have to share headquarters and--"

But that's all I heard. Simply because of the fact that she had just told us that we would be sharing headquarters. No big deal, I know. _**But not when you have to share with your archenemy of six years! **_McGonagall and Malfoy stared at me like I was crazy. _**Oh, did I say that last part out loud? **_

"Um, never mind, sorry, continue…" I stuttered out, cheeks burning from embarrassment at my latter outburst.

"Miss Granger, is there a problem?" McGonagall asked, her gaze burning into me.

_**YES, yes there is a problem!**_

That's what I thought but I said, "No, Professor."

"Good, well, if everything is understood, I will leave you." She stood up and strode out.

I sat back and looked at Malfoy, who stared back. Neither of us said anything for a while. Until…

"Granger, I'm sure if looks could kill, I'd be buried in your backyard already."

"Oh, please, if you would be as kind as to do me a favor and jump off this train to your ultimate death, I would be _**ever**_ so grateful," I shot sarcastically. But to my utter disappointment no reply was made, he just sat there, a slight smirk playing across his face.

"What, no comeback? Malfoy, I'm heartbroken." More sarcasm; this boy was getting me more and more iritated. Yet still he remained silent. _**He's only doing this to annoy you**_, I told myself. Fortunate enough, the fact that he could have me this angry by not saying anything at all, as opposed to firing insults at me, was not going to discourage me. _**I will find away to make this work**_ I just kept telling myself that.

I sighed. Well I'd have to get over it eventually. And Stupidhead was still sitting there smirking.

"Isn't your mouth tired as yet Malfoy?"

Nothing. My mind wandered a bit and I realized that he didn't seem at all worried or bothered about our situation.

EndOfFlashback«§§§§§»EndOfFlashback

And I found my way back to the Heads' Carriage where Malfoy was waiting patiently with that insufferable smirk on his face again. I wondered if it had even left.

_**Ugh!**_ The first chance I get I am murdering this conceited prat and burying him under the floorboards like in that muggle book. Only I won't hear his heartbeat torturing me because:

a) He doesn't have a heart and

b) I'll be sleeping too soundly and contentedly knowing that he is no longer around.

_**Anyway, I'll just ignore it.**_

As I sat down, once again opposite to him, my irritation faded some and I started having second thoughts about the bet. My brows were knitted together as I wondered if it really was a good idea. I mean something as small as a bet couldn't ruin a friendship, could it? It was entirely possible. It would be my own fault if we were torn apart by this because I had proposed it in the first place just to prove a trivial point. Despite my worry, though, I simply made up my mind that whatever Harry and Ron did: no hard feelings. I could take a joke. I just hoped that they could also.

"Talking to yourself again, Granger? Ruin what?" Malfoy drawled at me.

_**I really ought to get out of the habit of talking aloud.**_

"Mind your business, Malfoy," I retorted. He just leaned back and started smirking once more! He only did it because he knew it bothered me. There and then I resolved to ignore his pathetic attempts at angering me, especially if they were non-verbal.

And not only would I be completely oblivious to the flagrance and rancor in them, I would get so accustomed to them, that they would become a comfort to me…

Okay, that was a bit ambitious. Actually, it was downright crazy. I wasn't even living with him as yet and my journey to insanity had already begun.

DMDMDM«§§§§§»DMDMDM

I smirked even more in triumph as I watched Granger walk out the room. _**Perhaps off to change.**_ I relished in being able to light her burners so easily. I knew just what made her tick.

Idly, I wondered what she was thinking of as she had furrowed her brow while frowning.

Perhaps these positions we had ascended to, Head Boy and Girl, would not be as odious as I had thought. Of course, Dumbledore was still inane, Potter was still pathetic, Weasley was still mendicant and Granger was still a Mudblood. But she was an amusing Mudblood and that counted for a lot. Also, the opportunity of torture would be plentiful amongst the We-Get-Away-With-Everything-Whoopdie-Frikin-Doo trio.

Hell, I was going to enjoy this year…

**Please review! Oh and BTW, the bet isn't a huge part of this fic. **


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